Selective gearing



p 12, 1950 R. P. BECHLE 2,521,111

SELECTIVE GEARING Filed Aug. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

RUDOLPH f? .BECHLE ATTORNEY P 1950 R. P. BECHLE 2,521,771

SELECTIVE GEARING Filed Aug. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. QUDOZPH R EEC/ LE A TTOQ VE Y Patented Sept. 12, 1950 SELECTIVE GEARING Rudolph P. Bechle, Yonkers, N, Y., assignor to Potdevin Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767,378

2 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to selective gear boxes whereby a large number of positive gear ratios can be provided, these ratios to be in equal increments.

More specifically my invention relates to mechanism for multi-size printing presses for gearingthe printing cylinders to the feed rollers to provide for a multiplicity of print lengths.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings andhereinafter described I provide for print lengths from O to 99.99 inches in increments of .01 inch. It is to be understood, however, that this showing is merely for clarity of description and that the same may be altered without invention to cover different ranges and to operate in either smaller or larger increments.

My improved mechanism may be used direct asa power transmission appliance if designed to carry considerable amounts of power. It may also be used as a pilot or control mechanism to operate a variable speed device in conjunction with the mechanism constituting the subject-matter of my copending application Serial No. 721,201, filed January 10, 1947. In this latter connection my apparatus may be made Very light since the power it must transmit is virtually negligible.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an. embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational View;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail 2 designates an input shaft and 4 the output shaft. As illustrated the shaft 2- is to revolve at one revolution per impression, while the shaft 4 is arranged to feed 30" of paper per revolution. These speeds are merely illustrative, however, inasmuch as obviously the shaft 2 could be set up to revolve at any fixedratio with impression speed; likewise the amount of paper fed per revolution of the output shaft 4' could be varied without invention.

It is to be understood also that the expressions;

finput and output as applied to the shafts 2'and'4, respectively can be reversed. I

, The input shaftis mounted in suitable bearings in thema chine frame 6 and support 8. and carries a cluster of nine gears l0, all fixed to the shaft.

In addition to the gears It, the input shaft 2 carriers a worm i2 driving worm wheel l4 fast on a shaft !6, which through a worm and Worm wheel drive is drives a shaft 2i; carrying a gear 2 cluster 22, which is identical with the gear cluster is. The gears of cluster 22 are fast on the shaft 2!] which is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame 6 and support 8. 7

2t designates a gear cluster of nine gears meshing with the gears of cluster [0. The gears of cluster 26 are loosely mounted on shaft 28.

At the side of gear cluster ill opposite the cluster 26 is another gear cluster 39 of nine gears loosely mounted on shaft 32. The gears of the cluster 35] are in mesh with the gears of cluster i0 and are identical with gear cluster 26.

At one side of the gear cluster 22 I provide a gear cluster 34 of nine gears meshing ith the gears of cluster 22 and identical withgear clusters 2t and 30. The gears of cluster 34 are loosely mounted on shaft 36.

At the side of the cluster 22 opposite gear cluster 36 is another cluster 38 of nine gears meshing with the gears of cluster 22 and identical with clusters 26, 30 and 34. The'gears of cluster 38am loose upon shaft MB.

The shafts 2'8 32, 38 and MB for the gear clusters 26, 30, a l and 38- are tubular as will be seen from Fig. 2 which illustrates the construction of these four clusters. Extending through each of these tubular shafts is a clutch rod. These rods are designated 62, 44, i6 and t8; respectively. Each of these rodsv is provided with a clutch pin 50 projecting radially therefrom. Each rod is movable longitudinally and eachof the tubular shafts 28, 32, 36 and it] is provided through its wall with a longitudinally extending slot 52 through which the pin 5!; projects. of eachof the clusters 26, 3t, 36 and 38 is slotted as'shown at 54. From this construction it will be apparent that by moving the clutch rod lengthwise any gear desired of the clusters 25, 3t,- 34 and Mean be clutched to the corresponding gear of the adjacent cluster. With the pin 5i! out of clutching position all of the gears of each of the'gear clusters 26, 3t, 3t and 38. will merely'bev rotated'idly on their respective shafts. In addition to the clutch construction described the clutch shaftsniaybe moved to the left as viewed in Figs; 1 and-2 so that the pins 50 will engage as lot {it provided for that purpose in the machine frame to lock each of the gear shafts 28, 32, 36 and it against rotation to the machine frame.

Fixed to the outer ends of the gear cluster shafts 32, 36 and 40 are gears 68, i0 and 12,

respectively.

7M, and la designate three ordinary differentials inalignment with each other and with Each gear shaft 28 of gear cluster 26 and with output shaft 3. The shaft 28 constitutes the input shaft of the differential M. Aflixed to the housing of this differential is worm wheel 66, driven by a worm carried at one end of a shaft 80, the opposite end of which carries a bevel gear 82 meshing with the bevel gear 68, above referred to, carried on the outer end of shaft'32 of gear cluster 30. i

The housing of differential 76 is geared to gear cluster 34, by bevel gears in, 84, 86 and 88,

The housing of differential 18 is geared to gear cluster 38, by bevel gears 12, 90 and worm and Worm wheel 92 the latter being secured to the differential housing.

The three differentials 14,16 and 18 are identical in construction and each has 1:1-ratio of input and output shafts and an effect of 2 revolutions of the output shaft to one revolution of the housing.

For purposes of this description let it be assumed that the ratio of the worm and worm gear 66 forming part of the train between the housing of differential l4 and the gear cluster 30 is 20:1.

Let it be assumed also that the ratio of the worm and worm wheel H5 is :1 while that of worm and work wheel 18 is 20:1, so that gear cluster 22 operates at the speed of gear cluster i0.

The gears 10, 84, 86 and 83 by which gear clusters 22 and 34 are geared to the housing of differential provide a 1:1 ratio between these gear clusters and the differential housing, while let it be assumed that the worm and worm wheel 92 between gear clusters 22 and 38 and the housing of differential T8 is 10:1 ratio.

The gears used in the several gear clusters may be as follows:

Clusters Clusters 2G, Ratio Center 10 and 22 30, 34, and 38 Distance 50T20P 150T-20P 1:3 5" EDT-2UP lT-20P 2:3 5" 100T-20P 100T20P 3 :3 5" 80T-14P GOT-14F 4:3 5' MOT-16F 60T-16P 5:3 5 120'l18P (SOT-18F 6:3 5" MOT-20F GOT-2UP 7 :3 5 MOT-22F GOT-22F 8:3 5 l50T-20P 50T20P 9:3 5

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by hsing gear clusters [0 and 26, and locking the other clusters so that they are inoperative, one can feed 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, '70, 80 o 90" of paper per revolution of the shaft 2, depending upon the setting of the clutch shaft 42.

By adding the effect of clusters I0 and 30, the output of which it has been assumed is geared to the housing of differential Hi through a 20:1 ratio, it will be seen that an increment of the size of the corresponding gears of clusters [0 and 26 will be added to the lengths supplied by clusters I0 and 23. Thus by proper setting of clutch rod 44 one can add 0, l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9" to any of the lengths produced by clusters [0 and 26 It has been assumed that gear cluster 22 is operated at the speed of gear cluster [0 through worm and worm Wheel combinations l2 and 18. It has also been assumed that clusters 22 and 3d are geared 1:1 to the housing of differential it. Therefore by proper setting of clutch shaft 4t of gear cluster J4, of the increment 4 of clusters H3 and 26 may be added, or 0, .1, .2, .3, .4, .5, .6, .7, .8, or .9".

It has been assumed that clusters 22 and 38 are geared 10:1 to difierential of housing 18, giving an additive effect of i of clusters l0 and 26. Thus one can add 0, .01, .02, .03, .04, .05, .06, .07, .08, .09" to the increment of clusters in and 26. c 1

My improved mechanism therefore provides for print, lengths of from 0" to 99.99" in increments of .01 or a total of 10,000 combinations.

It will be understood of course, that if finer increments are desired, additional banks of gear clusters and difierentials can be added. By the same token if coarser increments are satisfactory one or more banks of gear clusters may be omitted. These changes are within the comprehension of my invention and may be made or resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope thereof. a

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a shaft, a gear cluster fast thereon, a second gear cluster in constant mesh with the first gear cluster, a shaft upon which the gears of the second cluster are freely rotatable; a bevel type planetary unit, the shaft for the second gear cluster constituting the input shaft of the unit; an output shaft for the unit, gears on the adjacent ends of the input and output shafts of the unit, and intermediate gears for gearing the first-mentioned gears of theunit to each other; a rotatable unit housing surrounding the gears of the unit, said intermediate gears being mounted on the housing; a third gear cluster in constant mesh with the first-mentioned gear cluster; a shaft upon which the gears of the third gear cluster are freely rotatable; a gear drive from the third gear cluster shaft to the rotatable housing of the planetary unit; locking means for selectively locking any gear of the second gear cluster to its shaft, thereby to vary the speed of the output shaft of the planetary unit; and locking means for selectively locking any gear of the third gear cluster to its shaft,

thereby to obtain a further variation in the speed.

of the output shaft of the planetary unit.

2. In combination, a shaft, a gear cluster fast. thereon, a second gear cluster in constant mesh. with the first gear cluster, a, shaft upon which. the gears of the second cluster are freely rotatable; 2. bevel type planetary unit, the shaft for the second gear cluster constituting the input shaft of the unit, an output shaft for the unit; gears on the adjacent ends of the input and output shafts of the unit and intermediate gears for gearing the first-mentioned gears of the unit to each other; a rotatable unit housing surrounding the gears of the unit, said intermediate gears being mounted on the housing; a third gear cluster in constant mesh with the first-mentioned gear cluster; a shaft upon which the gears of the third gear cluster are freely rotatable, a gear drive from the third gear cluster shaft to said rotatable housing of the planetary unit; a fourth gear cluster and a shaft therefor, to which the gears are fixed; a gear drive from this shaft to the shaft of the first gear cluster; a fifth gear cluster meshing constantly with the fourth gear cluster; a shaft for the fifth gear cluster upon which the gears are rotatably mounted; a second planetary unit in axial alignment with the first unit; the output shaft of the first planetary unit constituting the input shaft of the second unit; said second planetary unit comprising an output shaft, gearing for gearing the input and output.

5 shafts to each other, and a rotatable housing carrying this gearing; a drive for the housing of the second planetary unit from the shaft of the fifth gear cluster; locking means for selectively locking any gear of the second gear cluster to its shaft, thereby to obtain a variation in the speed of the output shaft of the second planetary unit; locking means for selectively locking any gear of the third gear cluster to its shaft, to obtain a further variation in the speed of the output shaft of the second planetary unit; and locking means for selectively locking any gear of the fifth gear cluster to its shaft, thereby to obtain a still further variation in the speed of the output shaft of the second planetary unit.

RUDOLPH vP. .BECI-ILE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Great Britain Jan. 25, 1937 

